YAQU PACHA e.V.

Report by Maria Jimena Valderrama, veterinarian, from our partner organization Fundación Omacha

Thanks to Yaqu Pacha, I was able to travel from Bogota to Pantanal, Brazil, to participate in the 10th International Training Course for Working with Wildlife, organized by the Tamandua Institute , for which I received a scholarship from FINN (Foundation for International Aid Animals).
During this course, I deepened my knowledge and skills for wildlife management in the wild. From capturing and taking samples, clinical evaluation and field monitoring of various wildlife species, to in-depth discussion about animal health.
In addition, this meeting of various professionals working in conservation in Latin America was a place to discuss ideas, exchange knowledge and experiences to develop and strengthen strategies that address all the problems that arise in conservation medicine today.

Today is International Stop Bycatch Day and Yaqu Pacha continuously works with fishermen and partners to reduce bycatch of marine mammals through fishing activities.
Yaqu Pacha understands that fishing is important for local fishermen and communities to support their daily lives.
That's why we work closely with fishermen and fishing communities to find solutions to reduce bycatch.

Yaqu Pacha Chile is currently working intensively on the NAVEGA con el delfín chileno project. This is an important project to develop and increase awareness among the population of the Chilean dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia) in Chile. Environmental education is an important part of all Yaqu Pacha's projects.

https://www.yaqupachachile.com

Dr. Silvina Botta of ECOMEGA FURG, our partners in Brazil, is currently visiting the Endocrinology Laboratory at the Toronto Zoo for a training program sponsored by YAQU PACHA on hormone analysis in marine mammals. Stress-associated hormones such as cortisol are analysed in samples of Lachille bottlenose dolphins from ECOMEGA FURG and PROJETO BOTOS. The samples were obtained from the dental dentin using the automated MicroMill drilling system on the ECOMEGA FURG. The main goal is to link stress hormone levels to environmental factors such as changes in prey availability or deteriorating habitat conditions.

https://www.ecomegafurg.com.br

Congratulations also from our side and we would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for the great cooperation with our biologists on site over the years.
Yaqu Pacha Chile is currently working on a project NAVEGA con el delfín chileno and an article about it was published in a magazine in Chile.
Information on this can also be found on the website of Yaqu Pacha Chile...

https://www.yaqupachachile.com

The team of Ecologia Humana do Oceano, our partners in environmental education with children in Brazil. The group carries out environmental education projects in kindergartens and schools in Brazil and is supported by Yaqu Pacha. Environmental education is an important part of all Yaqu Pacha's projects.

https://www.ecologiahumana.info/

There is a new publication by our biologist Professor Eduardo Secchi along with other scientists about the La Plata dolphin or Franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) in the new LAJAM Journal.
This publication, which focuses on the Franciscana dolphin, provides a step-by-step guide to help researchers working on marine mammal conservation merge long-term databases on strandings.
This work is fundamental for species conservation research.
You can find this publication and other articles in the new issue of the LAJAM Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals.
Yaqu Pacha has supported the release of LAJAM from the very beginning.
Publisher: Sociedad Latinoamericana de Especialistas en Mamíferos Acuáticos – SOLAMAC

https://lajamjournal.org

The latest issue of the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (vol 17, issue 2) is now published and online.

https://lajamjournal.org

Yaqu Pacha has supported the publication of LAJAM Magazine from the very beginning. In this issue there is, among other things, a publication by our biologist Prof. Eduardo Secchi about the La Plata dolphin.

The publisher is
Sociedad Latinoamericana de Especialistas en Mamíferos Acuáticos – SOLAMAC

Some impressions of the 30 years of Yaqu Pacha e.V. member meeting at Duisburg Zoo
We met in the morning at the zoo and were greeted there and guided through the zoo and there was detailed and interesting information about the animals.
In the afternoon, the Yaqu Pacha members met at the Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum Düsseldorf, where Dr. Lorenzo von Fersen (founder and 1st chairman of Yaqu Pacha) then reported on 30 years of Yaqu Pacha e.V. and 30 years of species conservation in Latin America.
The day ended with a joint dinner and many nice conversations.
At this point, many thanks to the Duisburg Zoo and the Aquazoo Düsseldorf for their hospitality and a big thank you also for the financial support of our projects in Latin America.
Here's to many more years in which we can work to protect endangered aquatic mammal species.

https://zoo-duisburg.de/

https://www.duesseldorf.de/aquazoo

30 years of species conservation organization YAQU PACHA e.V. – 30 years of species conservation in South America and Dr. Lorenzo von Fersen (1st chairman and founder of Yaqu Pacha) gave a lecture at the Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum Düsseldorf about our 30 years of work in nature conservation and the protection of endangered aquatic mammal species in Latin America.
Many members and interested parties came to the event and followed with interest how it all began and what we have achieved and been able to achieve in the 30 years with our species conservation organization.
At this point, a very big thank you to all members, partners and supporters, without whom our work would not be possible and we look forward to many more years in which we can work on the protection of endangered aquatic mammal species in South America – Latin America.

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Species conservation | Our partners | Animal species that YAQU PACHA is working to protect | Team Germany | Sea Otter | Project Robben | Tasks and objectives

On the occasion of the International Day of River Dolphins, our partners Proyecto Sotalia had an information event in Venezuela.
Many interested people came to this event and our biologist Yurasi Briceño reported on the work on the protection of dolphins and our activities in Venezuela.
There was also a photo exhibition with photographs by various photographers and biologists.
There was also something on offer for children and they were happy and interested.
At this point, many thanks to our partners from Proyecto Sotalia for the great work in Venezuela.

https://proyectosotalia.org/

Yaqu Pacha at the Species Conservation Day at the Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum Düsseldorf
Many visitors came to the Species Conservation Day and the Yaqu Pacha team informed the visitors about our projects in Latin America. Particular interest was shown in the protection of the endangered vaquita.
In the photo from left to right... Silke Meyer, Sandra Honigs, Andreas Banse, Sebastian Schnock

Dr. Lorenzo von Fersen (1st Chairman Yaqu Pacha e.V.) gave a lecture about our species conservation projects in Latin America at Planète Sauvage in France.
At this point, many thanks again to Planète Sauvage for the hospitality and for the great support of our species conservation projects in Latin America!

https://www.planetesauvage.com/

Today is the International Day of the La Plata Dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei)
Yaqu Pacha has been working with various partners since 1996 to protect this most endangered dolphin species in South America.
You can find information on our website and on the website of Consórcio Franciscana
Photo: Federico Sucunza Gemars

https://pontoporia.org/de/index.htm

The 19th Workshop of Aquatic Mammal Specialists in South America (19th RT) 19 RT Brasil and the 13th Congress of the Latin American Society of Aquatic Mammal Specialists (XIII SOLAMAC) in Praia do Forte took place with the main sponsorship of YAQU PACHA.

The presentations of the projects and the support of the town hall of Mata de São João was terrific.
The event, which took place from 11 to 15 September, brought together the leading experts on aquatic mammals in Latin America. In total, there were 245 participants, 10 different countries, 294 presentations and several exhibitors.

http://solamac.org

Yaqu Pacha was at the Species Conservation Day at Duisburg Zoo and informed the visitors about our species conservation projects in South America
From left to right... Lisa Schwarz, Sandra Honigs, Sebastian Schnock

• Aquatic Animal Day at Duisburg Zoo
• Insights & public relations work in the Farol das Baleias project
• YAQU PACHA Annual General Meeting 2025
• Francisca - a ray of hope for the protection of the Franciscana dolphins
• Help for Francisca, an endangered franciscana dolphin

One of the main objectives of YAQU PACHA is to provide educational opportunities for Latin American students and professionals. We are convinced that this will prepare these people to be the leading scientists in their home countries and that this is the best basis for a successful and sustainable science culture.
In recent years, YAQU PACHA has offered targeted funding programs to not only enable students, biologists and veterinarians to learn new research methods, but also to build a network that helps them navigate the world of science.

This is Raphaela Mota and her participation in the most important congress for aquatic mammals in August 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
She then spent a month with Randy Wells to learn research methods. Their participation and training were paid for by YAQU PACHA.

https://www.smmconference.org

Report by Maria Jimena Valderrama, veterinarian, from our partner organization Fundación Omacha https://omacha.org/

During the annual Bottlenose dolphin Health Survey in Sarasota, Florida, organized by the Chicago Zoological Society and the Dolphin Biology Research Institute, I participated as an invited researcher and worked in or on the waters of Sarasota Bay and surrounding areas with wild dolphins.
On this occasion, I was able to deepen my knowledge in dolphin population health assessment through special clinical examinations, ultrasound, sample collection and processing, analysis of physiological processes, and additional methods for identifying and capturing small whale populations. I would like to apply all this in my work in South America with the endangered river dolphins.
The Omacha Foundation has been committed to its protection and that of aquatic ecosystems for about 30 years, but there is an urgent need to use new conservation medicine techniques to address the new challenges posed by emerging diseases and new threats that can affect this species and its ecosystems.
This space has also been a place of exchange of experience and knowledge with various institutions such as the National Foundation for Marine Mammals, where new alliances have been created for joint work in Colombia.